Pilot or master valve



May 10, 1949. n o. E. wATsoN l 2,469,757

PILOT OR MASTER VALVE v Filed Dec. 4,.1944

- INVENTOR; OW/a E. Wazso/z BY MM,

TTO/FNEK valves olf-the 'pilot or-jmastervalvetype', l-de Patented Mey 1o, 1949 UNITED having em "intakes-'porti r4 egli anfegriat part Ya-Ives or.w pressure-regulated ATdevieeszmay befn- The voutlet port ifs isi liritedeaftel egniaustgto a't'rno'sflherejvvliilrI the intake port vf4 isfdesigled to be connected 'with any suitable's'eurce of'flid '-.ac'terize'dby a'hihly "iiicienteand reliable` peration -inithe carryngeutof the desired control preferably arranged infalineinentas and .interio'id pressure .hainber'forried "Wi h Vi`ntake and i'chaust ports as W'll as a separate'iu'tlet for' the fluid pressure control connecti'orto- 'gether vwith a valve and operating means adapted ".IInthe 'drawing' the i view siiwn 'represents' :a sectional"e1evation'f aifput ornis'tervalvefcnstretin 'embodying therimprevenientsi ffth'e 'present' invention,

Piloter-master valves of the type to' liih5313 I 0 treating..ari-reversi@ ereffor there-ii 'orsnft is'aiida'issfornreliaeits'innerehuwfithfrreess 52 for seating one end of a coil spring 54, the other end of which is shouldered against the clamping element 42 at the upper or top side of 55 the diaphragm 40, whereby the latter is actuated I I I i I by a downward spring pressure with a force dependent upon the adjustment of said sleeve 50.

The ends of the lever 36 are provided with openings 31 whereby either end of the lever may be operatively engaged with a reciprocating member or link 56, which may be connected with floatoperated mechanism, in which case the member 56 may be provided with spaced shoulders 58 permitting a certain amount of play or inoperative movement as required by certain phases of the control operation, as will hereinafter appear.

When assembled for operation, the action of the spring 54 is so adjusted that it will normally overcome the spring action of the diaphragm 40, and thereby operate to maintain the valve member in closed position over the intake port I4, so long as there is no operating or lifting action exerted upon the rod or shaft 26. The adjustment of said spring action is so made, however, that an operating force, such as that of a float movement transmitted through leverage including the link 56 to the lever 36, will serve to reinforce the spring action of the diaphragm itself to an extent suicient to lift the valve member in opposition to the spring 54 and thereby open the intake port I4 to admit the fluid pressure flow and simultaneously close the exhaust port I6. The uid pressure is of course then transmitted through the outlet port I8 to the main valve or other device whose operation is to be i,

controlled; and the same fluid pressure in the chamber I2 likewise maintains the diaphragm lifted against the spring 54 for keeping the port I4 open and port i6 closed until a suflicient float movement or other control action has taken place in the opposite direction, whereupon the actionment, thus opning the exhaust port I6 and again closing the intake port I4. This results in release of the uid pressure through both the pilot valve and its connection with the main valve; and obviously, this condition of the valves and relationship of parts will remain unchanged until there is again a control impulse imparted through the linkage to the rod 26, when the cycle of operation will simply be repeated.

It will therefore be apparent that I have devised a practical and highly eflcient pilot valve construction for carrying out all the desired objects of my invention. It is pointed out that the intake and exhaust ports are opened wide and instantly into fully open position, and also snapped instantly into fully closed position, and that but very slight movement of the valve member is required, and that the opening and closing actions are simultaneous, as well as instantaneous in their operation. As to the degree of sensitivity of the control operation, this can be regulated to any necessary or desired extent, and made fully adequate to meet any given requirements, by appropriate adjustment of the tension vof the spring 54 through the medium of the adjusting sleeve 50, as will be readily understood. Besides requiring a minimum of mechanical effort, or power, for the control operation, it is also pointed out that the action is efficient and positive, with no dead center point in the operative movements. Further advantages of the improved device are the substantially leakless charcasing forming a fluid pressure chamber provided with inlet and outlet ports, a valve member operable into alternate opening and closing relation to said inlet and outlet ports, and control means for operating said valve member comprising spring-actuated diaphragm means provided with external control connections and exposed to the pressure in said chamber and acting to hold said valve member in position for normally closing said inlet port, said pressure chamber having an independent fluid pressure outlet.

2. A master valve construction comprising a casing forming a iiuid pressure chamber provided with inlet and outlet ports, a valve member operable into alternate opening and closing relation to said inlet and outlet ports, and conv trol means for operating said valve member comlpressure in said chamber and operative to hold said Valve member in position for normally closing said inlet port, and adjustable spring means for adjustingA and regulating the action of said yielding diaphragm, said pressure chamber having a separate and independent fluid pressure outlet.

3. A pilot valve construction comprising a casing .forming a fluid pressure chamber provided with inlet and outlet ports and also with an extension providing a diaphragm chamber in communication with said first chamber, a valve member operable into alternate opening and closing relation to said inlet and outlet ports, a diaphragm element mounted in said diaphragm chamber and exposed to the pressure in said first chamber, connections between said diaphragm element and valve member and operative to maintain the same in position for normally closing said inlet port, and external control means provided with connections to said diaphragm element for cooperating therewith in controlling the opening and closing movements of said valve member.

ORLA E. WATSON.

v REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Eaton July 31, 1945 

